(The following was submitted by Town of North Hempstead councilmen Angelo Ferrara and James O'Connor, Republican members of the town board.)

On June 6, the North Hempstead Town Board, in a bipartisan initiative, established the Town of North Hempstead Councilmanic District Committee ("the Committee").

At that time, it was agreed that there would be six members of the committee. Each town councilperson could appoint one representative to the committee, and the town supervisor could appoint two members.

Councilman Angelo Ferrara and Councilman James O'Connor support the resolution, which will appear on this Tuesday night's North Hempstead Town Board Calendar, expanding the committee from six members to seven members.

Ferrara and O'Connor agreed that "to ensure that the initiative toward Councilmanic Districts remains bipartisan, we urge our fellow town board members to appoint a Republican as the seventh member of the committee. The present composition of the North Hempstead Town Board is three Democrats and two Republicans. If a Republican is appointed to the committee, the committee will be made up of four Democrats and three Republicans. However, if our colleagues choose to appoint another Democrat, they "stack" the committee with five Democrats and only two Republicans. More importantly, by appointing another Democrat, they choose politics over an initiative previously focused on good government.

We call on our fellow town board members to resist their urge toward political gain and instead, keep the focus on what is the best form of representative government for the people of the Town of North Hempstead.

In conclusion, we call on our colleagues to appoint an African-American to the committee. A Newsday editorial dated July 12 called on the Town of North Hempstead to create a minority district in the Councilmanic District initiative. While we do not wish to predispose the committee, or its eventual recommendations to the town board, we do feel that minority representation on the committee is essential. Therefore, we recommend the appointment of Dr. Rudolph Clark of New Cassel as the seventh member of the Town of North Hempstead Councilmanic District Committee.

Dr. Clark's credentials are most impressive. He has devoted his life to the social sciences. His commitment to the New Cassel, Woodbury, Westbury and North Hempstead communities speaks for itself," concluded Councilman Ferrara and Councilman O'Connor.

A copy of Dr. Clark's curriculum vitae can be obtained by calling Ferrara or O'Connor at 869-7694.